Environmental Justice and Sustainability
Congregational Engagement
Greetings! I'm Robin Nelson, Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (UUA) Environmental Stewardship Manager in Congregational Stewardship Services. One of my roles is managing the Green Sanctuary Program and supporting congregations engaging in environmental work.
My office receives numerous inquires from congregations like yours wanting to learn more about how to live out our Seventh Principle (respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part), practice environmental stewardship, and become better stewards of the Earth. I've compiled this quick guide of top picks for you, your congregation, and your community.
Please feel free to contact me. I look forward to hearing from you.
To a greener faith community and world,
Robin Nelson
uua_greensanctuary @ uua.org
Green Sanctuary Program
- Green Sanctuary Home Page on UUA.org
Links to all the things you need to know about the Green Sanctuary Program.
- Green Sanctuary Manual (PDF, 121 pages) September 2009
The new version of the Green Sanctuary Manual has been reorganized, rewritten, and edited to include new stories from congregations currently participating in the Green Sanctuary program. Free download.
- Green Sanctuary Candidacy Application (Word) (PDF)
Application for congregations seeking to start working towards Green Sanctuary Accreditation.
- Green Sanctuary Accreditation Application (Word) (PDF)
Application for congregations who are currently candidates in the Green Sanctuary Program and have completed or made significant progress on their Action Plans seeking to achieve Green Sanctuary Accreditation.
- Green Sanctuary Re-Accreditation Application (Word) (PDF)
Application for congregations who have already achieved Green Sanctuary Accreditation and are seeking further recognition for their environmental work.
- Green Sanctuary Blog
Blog that highlights the work of Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregations that are engaging in the Green Sanctuary program, provides resources and ideas to congregations, and shares information about what’s going on with the Green Sanctuary program.
Environmental Justice
- More About Environmental Justice
Learn about environmental justice from the UUA's social justice lens.
- Congregational Life and Environmental Justice
Learn about how congregational life and environmental justice intersect.
- Ethical Eating Food and Environmental Justice CSAI
Find out the information you need to know about the Congregational Study Action Issue (CSAI), how to become involved, and links to the guides.
External Resources
- UU Ministry for Earth (UUMFE)
The UUMFE has a focus on environmental justice and provides support to congregations with their Earth ministry.
- UU Service Committee (UUSC)
The UUSC has a focus area on environmental justice, specifically the international human right to water, and is concerned with climate change.
- UU Statewide Advocacy Networks
The Statewide Advocacy Networks work to connect UU congregations working on statewide advocacy issues.
- UU-United Nations Office (UU-UNO) - Climate Initiative
The UU-UNO Climate Initiative is dedicated to advocacy of mitigating the increasingly severe risks of climate change. The UU-UNO Climate Portal contains a wealth of climate resource information and action suggestions relevant to UUs.
- Interfaith Power and Light
Interfaith Power and Light works through state chapters to mobilize a religious response to global warming in congregations through the promotion of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and conservation.
- Northwest Earth Institute
Northwest Earth Institute offers innovative programs (through study guides) that empower individuals and organizations to transform culture toward a sustainable and enriching future.
Environmental Justice
The Seventh Principle of Unitarian Universalism (UUism) calls us to affirm and promote "respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part." More than just a recognition of ecological interdependency, our seventh principle calls us to recognize that human beings are are part of this mutuality. Too often the "environmental movement" and the "racial/economic justice movement" have been seen as competing with each other. Environmental justice is the recognition that the same paradigm of dominion that has led to global warming also reinforces economic and racial inequities. Only by seeking solutions that address both can we solve either.
Through this lens, the issues that we highlight are:
- Global Warming/Climate Change
- Green Jobs
- Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining
- Gulf Coast
- Right to Water (in partnership with the UU Service Committee)
We invite you to learn more about Unitarian Universalism and how our faith compels us to work for justice.
For more information contact uua_greensanctuary @ uua.org.
This work is made possible by the generosity of individual donors. Please consider making a donation today.
Last updated on Tuesday, December 20, 2011.
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